Alongside the central village of Engelberg, the municipality encompasses additional settlements, including Grafenort, Oberberg and Schwand.

The municipality of Engelberg is an exclave, entirely encircled by the neighboring cantons of Bern, Nidwalden and Uri.

In the Middle Ages, the area garnered recognition for its Benedictine monastery, known as Engelberg Abbey.

Engelberg's earliest mention dates to 1122, denoted as Engilperc, concurrent with the founding of the Abbey.

[3] In August 1815, as Nidwalden hesitated in accepting the Federal Treaty, Engelberg promptly expressed its support.

[4] The mid-19th century ushered in Engelberg's emergence as a vacation destination, known for its therapeutic mineral water, milk serum and fresh air.

The efforts of families such as Cattani, Hess, and Odermatt led to the establishment of a number of hotels, cementing the region's status as a tourist destination.

Related developments included the construction of a broader road between 1872 and 1874, as well as the inauguration of the Stansstad-Engelberg electric railway in 1898.

[3] Engelberg's reputation as a hub for hiking and other mountain activities grew toward the end of the 19th century.

The Gerschnialpbahn, a funicular railway (unveiled in 1913), connected Engelberg to Gerschni with a subsequent cable car (inaugurated in 1927) extending the journey to Ober Trüebsee.

The pre-World War I era was characterized by robust growth, as indicated by a substantial influx of visitors (165,922 visitor-nights in 1911).

Over the same time period, the amount of recreational space in the municipality increased by 34 ha (84 acres) and is now about 0.61% of the total area.

In the village itself the main sights are the Benedictine monastery Engelberg Abbey which incorporates a cheese factory and demonstration shop, the Talmuseum showing the history of the area and Swiss rural life, and a number of old chapels.

The winter sports season generally lasts from December until April, although the high altitude glacier areas on the Titlis can sometimes be used (by advanced skiers) from October until May.

On the last Saturday in September the Alpabzug takes place, when the cattle are brought from the mountain pastures back to their winter barns in the village and valley.

The cable cars generally run all year round, providing access for hikers and mountain bikers as well as skiers.

The Titlis in the south of Engelberg at 3,238 metres (10,623 ft) above sea level is the highest summit of the range north of the Susten Pass, between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland.

A funicular railway (dating from 1913) runs up to station Gerschnialp (1,267 m (4,157 ft)) and a wide Alpine pasture called Gerschni, with easy snow areas suitable for beginners and cross country ski trails, and a toboggan run leading back down to the valley station.

A continuous ski piste leads down to Unter Trüebsee and back to the cable car valley station.

The high altitude glacier runs down from the peak are suitable for advanced skiers, with off-piste routes leading down to Trüebsee and the Laubersgrat ridge.

The ski runs here are of a beginner to medium standard, although sometimes not having so much snow cover as the Titlis side due to the south facing aspect.

In summer there are a number of walking trails starting from here, including the Walenpfad leading to Bannalp and the Rot Grätli ridge across the mountains to the north and northeast.

At the eastern end of the Engelberg valley, there is a cable car up to Fürenalp (1,840 m (6,040 ft)), passing over the Fürenwand rock climbing area.